X-Men (1991-1994): The Franchise Years

Part two of the massive X-Men binding list. This one runs from X-Men #1 through Legion Quest. Part one can be found right here.

There are also a few spin off volumes I’m including in this list. I’m not a completist with the spin-off series, but there are a few arcs and runs I’m interested in, like PAD’s X-Factor. I’m putting them in this map just to show where they would fit chronologically, but if someone is just interested in X-Men, those volumes can be skipped.

X-Force: SabotageX-Force #1-3
Spider-Man #16
X-Force #4

X-Factor Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 1 (TPB)
X-Factor #71-75

(I got the first three TPBs for PAD’s run, so no need for me to bind.)

(I also copied and included the pages from X-Men Annual #1 with the guide to the mansion and Blackbird. I found the Shattershot story to be bad, and also a nightmare for squeezing into continuity without completely disrupting the flow of the main series, so I opted not to bind it.)

(It would be possible to combine these last two volumes without having too many problems. UXM #287 leads right into X-Men #8, where Bishop meets the X-Men for the first time, which is why X-Men #8, and the X-Men/GR crossover is before UXM #288. Again, the UXM annual backup is something I made copies of. I added the Cable miniseries here, because I did not want to start X-Cutioner’s Song with it, but had no where else to put it. And two issues is small for a bound volume.)

(I actually don’t have these issues yet, except for #87. But, I don’t like how the fourth trade has the three X-Factor X-Cutioner’s Song issues. Plus, this volume will include the first few non-PAD issues and wrap up the plots going into Fatal Attractions.)

(X-Men #24, XMU #2, and UXM #305-306 are all in their proper places after much analyzing. X-Men #24 is listed as a “prelude to UXM #304″. XMU #2 and UXM #305 help set up plot points in X-Men #25, and UXM #306 clearly states it’s between UXM #304 and X-Men #25. I added Bloodties to the end of Fatal Attractions to decrease the number of volumes, and it is the cap to the 30th anniversary celebration.)

(It’s interesting how the volumes were kind of easy to come up with titles for, because there are a lot of common themes contained throughout the issues within. Obviously, the title of the book is lifted from X-Men #30, but even that was unintentional. But we start the book with the Psylocke/Revanche connection getting a little screen time, then the Cable/Cyclops mystery is finally solved. We go through all of the wedding prep, and then end with the issue detailing the connection between Mystique and Nightcrawler. The Uncanny annual was difficult to place. It came out in 1994, but because Jean Grey makes an appearance, it has to take place before the wedding. After the wedding, she goes into the future in the Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series, and returns in X-Men #35, and then immediately jumps into Phalanx Covenant. And because Jubilee makes an appearance, it’s clear that this is before Generation X forms.)

(The X-Factor issues set up Legion’s return. The Wolverine issue is referenced a lot post-AOA because of his fight with Sabretooth. I originally had another volume in between Phalanx and Legion, including UXM 318-319 and related issues, but decided that fewer volumes was better. As a result, X-Men Unlimited #7 got bumped because it really doesn’t fit anywhere. If I feel compelled to bind it, I might put it with XMU #8-9, two other stories that really don’t fit in with the main books.)

Actually, I have the TPB of Further Adventures, and that’s getting slotted into the next part of the list, somewhere after Onslaught. Technically, it could probably take place almost anywhere in this era, because there are no present day portions. However, I don’t think it could work with the first mini, because it would just be awkward for Jean and Scott’s present day chronology.

While I was prepping the Mutant Genesis volume, I found the scene and footnote from X-Men #5 that says that it takes place before UXM #281. Since the Gold Team is wearing the same outfits they wear in the beginning of UXM #281, I suddenly got the idea to put the two volumes together, which will save me at least $15.

I was thinking of moving the Ghost Rider crossover into this book, since it picks up from the end of UXM #287. I decided that it would disrupt the theme of the Dysfunctional volume, and then I would want to just include everything up to UXM #290 and X-Men #11, where Portacio and Lee leave. That would leave me with a really large volume and a really skinny volume….so I’m keeping Dysfunctional as is.

And this would mean that the X-Factor books would be pushed elsewhere.